http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/12/12/2632055/original-ufc-champion-royce-gracies-birthday-todayRoyce Gracie,
the winner of the three out of the first four Ultimate Fighting
Championships, turned forty-five today. He is the son of Helio Gracie,
who helped adapt Japanese Judo into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the younger
brother of Rorion Gracie, the original founder of the the UFC.
Royce has one of the most storied careers in MMA history, fighting as
the Gracie family's representative in the UFC and was the champion of
the first UFC tournament, choking out
Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordau to secure the crown. Royce repeated the feat at UFC 2.
At UFC 3, Royce engaged in an all-time great match with Kimo
Leopoldo, Royce won the match via armbar but was forced to withdraw from
the tournament due to injury. At UFC 4, Royce won the title after a 15
minute battle with wrestling great
Dan Severn,
locking on a triangle choke at 15:49 in the fight. Fans had to wait to
see the submission until the fight was released onto VHS because the PPV
time had been exceeded and the fight black out moments before the
choke.
Royce introduce American martial arts fans to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and
is often cited by fighters as their inspiration for entering into MMA,
making him one of the most influential fighters in the sport's short
history.
He finished his career 11-1-1 in the UFC with all 11 wins by
submission, a record which still stands today. Royce also competed in
Japanese promotions Pride and
K-1/Dynamite and retired with a 14-2-3 professional record.
Since retiring from MMA, Royce has stayed very busy opening Jiu Jitsu
schools and teaching seminars all over the world. He still trains
everyday in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, choosing to focus on his family's
particular brand that is based more on use in self-defense than in sport
grappling or MMA, often refereed to as Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Royce is
currently a 6th degree black belt.
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